As we’ve written previously, one of the most often missed opportunities of effective onboarding is found before a new hire’s first day on the job. The concept of pre-boarding is a powerful concept to effective onboarding, and there are many ways that software technology can deliver HR and business benefits to the pre-boarding process and into the start of the new employees. Developing an employee checklist streamlines the onboarding process for the company, as it reassures a new hire of their decision to join your team. Here’s a list of things to consider for your new employee checklist:

Automated workflows, driven by your specific rules, guide the process through a sequence of events that keep everyone “in the loop” as to what is needed to assure effective onboarding of your newly acquired talent. Because you’re able to unleash the power of automation throughout your onboarding process, you can utilize true human element (either HR personnel, or a mentor) to guide your new hire through the other parts that require leadership, empathy, and the “human touch”.

Automation also eliminates the need of having to enter the same information repeatedly. Really, how many times must you re-write a name and social security number? With onboarding software, critical information is kept (securely), automatically updating to the next step in the process. As the system alerts HR of the next phase, the new employee moves through the process to being fully “employed”.

When Robots Meet Humans

Moving beyond the mechanics of technology, it’s important to remember our need for connectedness and human interaction. Even the most seasoned workers face the challenges of feeling nervous and anticipation within the first several months of a new opportunity. It’s important to step outside of the world of technology, and meet them on the human level, helping them get acquainted with their workspace, expectations, culture, and their fellow staff members. Here are some things to consider for when your new hire begins his or her new position:

Enlist as many staff members as possible to meet and greet new hires

Implement a mentor, coach or buddy program to facilitate orientation

Take the time to truly learn about each employee as a person.

Explain company culture and allow them to ask questions or voice concerns.

Utilize community projects, team competitions and social activities to integrate new hires into the culture.

Provide an onboarding agenda with specific objectives, timelines, and expectations.

Invite new staff members to lunch.

Training and Communication

Once your new employee is locked in, you can then use your onboarding for digital training. You can increase employee engagement through onboarding programs for cross-training, earning certifications, improving skills, or to help them develop leadership development that can be maximized as they grow in their role. The more engaged your employees are, the longer they’re likely to stay, and the more productive they will be. Digital onboarding software makes it easy to maintain communication with employees, understanding what they need to further their career, and also what is needed to be able to retain them.

Real Numbers

The right technology allows you to evaluate an employee’s progress at 30, 60, and 90 days and beyond. Through customization, your onboarding program can provide you with real metrics that measure the effectiveness of individuals and your team. It can measure manager success rates, show your ROI, and help you understand how to better recruit, train, and retain top talent.

The Choice

The choice of your employee onboarding program can make the difference between a lacking, and ultimately costly, orientation, and an engaged user experience that is productive and powerful. With the right software, you can utilize intelligent automation, combined with human skill to provide new hires with critical information that they need to become productive, engaged, and HAPPY employees. With 59 percent of employers anticipating major challenges in recruiting and retaining top talent over the next decade, the time is now to develop an onboarding process that will help your company thrive with an engaged and dynamic workforce.

Ben Olson is the Chief Technology Officer of Essium, a premiere software company that has developed a revolutionary, customizable, onboarding compliance platform named PRYDE that leverages the power of intelligent bots. Designed to give HR a STRESS-FREE onboarding experience, PRYDE helps assimilate new employees, and retain personnel long-term.